Selma Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Selma’s land-use regulations are codified as Title XI — Zoning of the Selma Municipal Code (the Zoning Ordinance). The code organizes rules by chapters for general provisions, zoning districts, citywide development standards, use-specific rules, permit procedures, and administration; it is explicitly tied to the General Plan and implements local development controls across residential, commercial, industrial, mixed‑use and special/overlay areas. The City uses a mix of base zones (single‑ and multi‑family districts, commercial, industrial, open space) plus combining/overlay zones (notably the Pioneer Village (PV) zone and citywide specific/precise plans) to add area‑specific rules. For quick navigation of the local zoning pages, see the city’s main Selma zoning landing page. § 11-1.1

How Selma's code is organized

• The Zoning Ordinance is introduced in § 11-1.1 (Purpose, applicability, authority) and establishes that the Ordinance implements the General Plan and applies to all land within city limits. § 11-1.1
• Title XI is arranged in chapters: zoning districts and permitted uses (Chapter 2), general (citywide) regulations and development standards (Chapter 3), standards for specific uses (Chapter 4), permit processing and review (Chapter 6), administration (Chapter 7), and definitions/use classifications (Chapter 8). See the document Table of Contents and chapter headings for the exact breakdown. § 11-2., § 11-3., § 11-4., § 11-6., § 11-7., § 11-8.
• The code includes tabular appendices (permitted‑use tables and development‑standards tables such as Table 2‑7, Table 2‑8, Table 3‑3 for parking and Table 4‑1 through 4‑7 for density bonus/incentive tables) that supply district‑by‑district numeric standards and use permissions. See the Tables listing in the code index. § 11-2.* / Tables (Table 2‑7; Table 3‑3; Table 4‑1–4‑7)

Zoning district families

Selma’s ordinance groups districts into familiar families; below are the principal base/combination districts you will see in the code text and permit tables (all itemized in Chapter 2 and in the use tables):

• Residential: R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑3‑A, R‑4 (single‑family through higher‑density multi‑family). The code lists permitted uses, minimum lot sizes, lot dimensions, maximum lot coverage and maximum building height by these districts in the development standards tables. See the development standards tables and the R‑district entries. § 11-2.*; development tables
• Commercial / Mixed‑use: the commercial categories and mixed‑use allowances are shown in the permitted uses tables and development standard tables; mixed‑use treatment and mixed‑use objective standards appear in Chapter 2 and tied into Chapter 3 standards. § 11-2.*; Tables (Permitted Uses / Development Standards)
• Industrial: industrial zones include site design and buffering provisions specific to industrial uses (landscaped setbacks adjacent to arterials, screening of outdoor storage, sidewalk requirements). See the industrial standards in Chapter 2 and the industrial development rules. § 11-2.* (industrial standards)
• Open Space / Parks: the OS district purpose and permitted public/quasi‑public recreational and infrastructure functions are described in § 11‑2.7. § 11-2.7
• Combining/Overlay zones: the code uses combining districts (overlays) for area‑specific rules. The code explicitly lists the Pioneer Village (PV) combining zone and citywide specific/precise plan zones and explains that combining zones layer additional rules on top of base zones. See § 11-2.6 (Combining Zones) and the PV zone rules. § 11-2.6

Notes on reading the district tables: the code uses “P”, “SPR”, “DRA”, “CUP”, and “–” codes in the use tables to indicate permitted, site plan review, director review & approval, conditional use, and prohibited, respectively; the city also reserves the authority to classify an unlisted use under § 11‑8.2 (Use Classifications). § 11-2.*; § 11-8.2

Citywide development standards

High‑level, citywide numeric and objective standards are organized under Chapter 3 (General Regulations Applicable to All Zones) and in the tables referenced in Chapter 2.

• Where the code sets the framework: development standards (setbacks, heights, lot coverage/FAR, projections, and other bulk controls) are collected under § 11-3.1 (Development Standards) and in the district development tables. § 11-3.1
• Lot coverage and buildable‑area controls: the code includes district‑level buildable area/lot coverage limits (examples shown in the development tables include maximums such as 65% buildable area in certain districts and 45% in others, with limited discretion for the Community Development Director to allow exceedances where specified). See the development standard tables and explanatory text. § 11-3.1; development tables
• Height: district tables list maximum building heights (examples in the R‑district tables include 35 ft typical maximums with greater height in higher‑density zones); height projections and rules are shown in the height tables. § 11-3.1; Table 3‑1 (Height Projections)
• Setbacks and yards: front, side, rear and street‑side yard definitions and measurement rules are in the definitions and yard subsections; the specific yard dimensions are in the district development standards tables. § 11-8.* (definitions) and § 11-3.1; development tables
• Parking and loading: off‑street parking standards, bicycle parking and loading space requirements are published as citywide tables (see Table 3‑3 for required parking ratios, Table 3‑4 for bicycle parking and Table 3‑5 for loading). The Pioneer Village rules expressly reference off‑street parking (and exemptions for special events) and the code’s Off‑Street Parking chapter. For project‑level parking rules, consult the code’s parking section and the numeric tables; the city also gives the Planning Commission discretion to set parking for certain PV uses. See § 11-3.4 and Table 3‑3. § 11-3.4; Table 3‑3
  • Practical link: when you need to confirm how many spaces a use requires, consult the parking table and then the Zoning Clearance/Site Plan process (see the permit path below). See the city’s parking guidance. § 11-3.4
• Design and objective standards: the code contains objective design guidance for multi‑family and mixed‑use projects (Multi‑Family Objective Design Standards) that cover massing, articulation, materials and screening of mechanical equipment; these are applied alongside the numeric standards and are enforced through site plan and design review. See § 11-3.1 (and the objective design standards text). § 11-3.1 (Objective design standards)

For a consolidated view of the numeric and objective rules, consult the Selma Development Standards page and the Code Tables (Tables 2 and 3). § 11-3.1; Tables 2‑8 / 3‑3

Specific plans & overlays

• City policy recognizes that parcels in an adopted Specific Plan or Precise Plan must follow the use and development standards set by those plans unless otherwise authorized by the Community Development Director. The code states that parcels within a designated Specific/Precise Plan must adhere to the plan standards. See § 11‑2 (Citywide Specific and Precise Plans) and the Combining Zones rules. § 11-2.* (Specific/Precise Plans)
• The Pioneer Village (PV) overlay is a concrete example: the PV combining zone adds master‑plan, conditional‑use and site‑plan requirements and gives the Planning Commission discretion over parking in that zone; it requires submission of a Master Plan for any PV project. See § 11-2.6 (PV combining zone) and the PV sub‑rules. § 11-2.6
• The code explicitly allows the Community Development Director to determine when the rules of a specific plan supersede or modify the base zoning provisions. See § 11‑2 (Specific/Precise Plan applicability) and related cross‑references. § 11-2.*

(If you are working in a plan area, pull the specific plan document for the site — the zoning tables will tell you whether the site is within a plan area and which plan controls.)

Building permits & review (practical permit path)

Selma separates ministerial clearances from discretionary approvals in Chapter 6 and assigns review authority in a decision table.

• The permit framework and that you must secure permits before starting construction are set out in § 11-6.1 (General Provisions — Permit Processing). § 11-6.1
• Typical permit types and where to start:
  • Zoning Clearance (ZC) — a ministerial verification that a proposed use complies with the code; issued by the Director if the Director finds the project complies; see § 11-6.4. § 11-6.4
  • Site Plan Review (SPR) — Director decision with appeals to the Commission/Council in certain cases; applies to most non‑residential projects and larger alterations; see § 11-6.5 (Site Plan Review applicability and process). § 11-6.5
  • Director Review and Approval — a streamlined discretionary director decision with appeal rights (see § 11-6.6). § 11-6.6
  • Conditional Use Permit (CUP) — discretionary uses requiring Commission action and Council appeal rights; see § 11-6.7. § 11-6.7
  • Variances, Minor Deviations, Temporary Use Permits — available under the permit chapter; see § 11-6.9, § 11-6.10 for variances and minor deviations and the Permit Review Authorities table (Table 6‑1). § 11-6.9; § 11-6.10; Table 6‑1
• Permit authorities and appeals: the code supplies a permit review authority table showing which matters the Director, Planning Commission and City Council act on; appeals and CEQA procedures are integrated into the permit flow. See Table 6‑1 and Chapter 6 general rules. § 11-6.*; Table 6‑1
• Project approvals include standard conditions (Approved Plans, build‑out timelines, permit expirations and possible extensions). The Director may grant one reasonable extension where justified; otherwise many permits automatically expire after two years per the Permit Implementation rules. See § 11-6.* (Permit Implementation, Time Limits and Extensions). § 11-6.*
• For design matters: objective design standards feed into Site Plan Review and the Director/Commission’s review. For procedural detail on how design review interacts with permits, consult the design review materials and § 11-6.5. § 11-6.5

Practical steps: start with a Preliminary Development Review (optional) or file for Zoning Clearance to confirm permitted status; if discretionary approvals are required, expect a Site Plan Review or CUP (see the decision authorities in Table 6‑1). § 11-6.3; § 11-6.4; Table 6‑1

State housing law in Selma

Selma’s code integrates California housing law in several places; where the code is explicit, it ties local procedures to state statutes and implements ministerial ADU rules:

• ADUs / JADUs: Selma provides regulations for accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs with a ministerial process consistent with California Government Code §§ 65852.2 and 65852.22; the ADU provisions and ministerial standards appear in § 11-4.2 (ADUs and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units) and related development standards. For practical guidance, consult the city's ADU rules and state ADU law. See § 11-4.2 and the Selma ADUs resource and the California ADU law. § 11-4.2
  • The code explicitly frames ADUs as ministerial and references consistency with state ADU statutes (city must follow state limits on parking, setback relaxations, and ministerial review where applicable). § 11-4.2
• Density bonus and concessions: the ordinance contains density‑bonus language, definitions (including “concession or incentive” and “density bonus”) and tables showing bonus amounts and number of incentives; these rules appear in Chapter 4 (Standards for Specific Land Uses and Activities) including Table 4‑1 through Table 4‑7. See Chapter 4 and the density bonus tables for thresholds and required concessions. § 11-4.*; Table 4‑1–4‑7
• SB 9 / ministerial duplex/lot‑split rules: the current code text in the retrieved materials does not explicitly reproduce SB 9 ministerial lot split/duplex rules by section number; local implementation of SB 9 (if adopted in ordinance form or via administrative guidelines) was not located in the retrieved file excerpts. Where the City has adopted refinements, they would appear as specific amendments or stand‑alone local procedures—verify with the Community Development Department or the municipal code updates. Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction.
• Rent control / tenant protections: no rent‑control ordinance or rent‑stabilization language appears in the retrieved zoning code excerpts; the code focuses on land‑use standards and permit processing rather than landlord‑tenant regulation. Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the City Clerk/municipal code.

State codes and building code interface:

• The zoning code repeatedly cross‑references compliance with the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and requires building permits to conform to state building standards; see compliance language in the standards for specific uses and permit chapters. Consult the California Building Standards Code for technical building rules that the Building & Safety Division enforces alongside Title XI zoning. § 11-4.; § 11-6.

Information Gaps / How to confirm site‑specific details

• The file excerpts used here are the Selma Zoning Code text as provided, but for some precise numeric values you should consult the full district development tables (Tables 2‑8/2‑10/3‑3) and any adopted Specific Plan that covers the parcel. The code’s Table of Contents and the tables are where you will find precise setback distances, exact parking ratios, FARs, and district‑by‑district numeric maximums. See Table references and Chapter 3. § 11-3.1; Tables (Table 2‑8; Table 3‑3)
• Implementation of recent state housing laws (SB 9, latest ADU amendments and density bonus updates) may be handled through later code amendments or administrative bulletins not present in the retrieved excerpts—contact the Community Development Department for the latest staff guidance and check the City’s ordinance amendments. Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the jurisdiction.

Source References

• Selma Zoning Ordinance (Title XI) — Table of Contents, General Provisions and Chapter headings (Purpose & Applicability) § 11‑1.1
• Chapter 2 (Zoning Districts, Permitted Uses, PV zone, Specific/Precise Plans) — § 11‑2.6 (Combining Zones — PV), § 11‑2.7 (Open Space)
• Chapter 3 (General Regulations / Development Standards; Off‑Street Parking) — § 11‑3.1; § 11‑3.4; Tables (3‑1, 3‑3)
• Chapter 4 (Standards for Specific Uses — ADUs; density bonus tables) — § 11‑4.1; § 11‑4.2; Table 4‑1–4‑7
• Chapter 6 (Permit Processing; Zoning Clearance; Site Plan Review; Permit authority table) — § 11‑6.1; § 11‑6.3; § 11‑6.4; § 11‑6.5; Table 6‑1
• Chapter 7 (Administration; Planning Commission, Director, Council responsibilities) — § 11‑7.1 et seq.
• Chapter 8 (Definitions & Use Classifications) — § 11‑8.2 (Use Classification guidance)